Why Man Utd Signed Lammens Ahead Of Proven Martinez

There is simply a beardown consciousness of 'Project 150' astir Manchester United's determination to salary £18.1m for 23-year-old goalkeeper Senne Lammens.

The scheme to purpose for nan Premier League title successful 2028, nan 150th day of nan nine that started life arsenic Newton Heath and turned into Manchester United, was first outlined by main executive Omar Berrada to unit successful September 2024.

Berrada doubled down connected nan purpose successful June this twelvemonth successful an question and reply pinch nan respected United We Stand fanzine, stating: "Why not purpose for it?"

The wide strategy of building for a amended early was down nan determination taken little than 12 hours earlier nan transportation model closed.

United told Lammens to committee a backstage pitchy and alert to Manchester, alternatively than inquire Aston Villa's Emiliano Martinez to caput up nan M6 to complete nan move he had hoped would hap virtually since past play ended.

Sources opportunity nan dilemma was straightforward.

Firstly, United cognize important betterment is required this play aft nan debacle 2024-25 became. But 'Project 150' is nan bigger scheme Berrada and nan nine ownership are striving to achieve.

United are respectful of Martinez. They judge nan Argentina world is proven successful nan Premier League.

He has played astatine nan highest levels of nan crippled and won nan World Cup. He is not correction free by immoderate intends though and made much errors starring to shots past play (6) than United's Andre Onana (4).

But Martinez has nan characteristic to woody pinch that astatine a clip erstwhile moreover caput coach Ruben Amorim says: "It is difficult to beryllium a Manchester United goalkeeper successful this moment."

Lammens is astatine nan different extremity of nan acquisition scale. The 6ft 4in stopper has 93 appearances to his name, only 52 of which person travel successful nan Belgian Pro League.

His azygous outing successful nan Champions League came successful Royal Antwerp's 2-0 conclusion by Porto successful November 2023. He was picked for nan Belgium elder squad for nan first clip successful March and has yet to triumph a afloat cap.

However, United's information analysis, thing number proprietor Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been wished to importantly improve, pointed astatine personification who warranted person attention.

Club sources opportunity that successful cardinal metrics, specified arsenic claimed crosses, changeable stopping, preventing goals from rebounds and mistakes, aliases alternatively nan deficiency of them, Lammens rates exceptionally highly.

They besides opportunity Lammens made much saves than immoderate different goalkeeper successful Europe's apical 10 leagues and made nan astir 'progressive' passes for immoderate goalkeeper nether nan property of 23.

In nan connection confirming his arrival, head of shot Jason Wilcox said Lammens was nan taxable of "significant liking from a number of clubs".

Crucially, erstwhile United scope Berrada's 'Project 150' point, Lammens will beryllium 26 and should beryllium moving into his prime. Martinez will beryllium 35.

It could beryllium based on nan Old Trafford level faced a akin dilemma pinch different Aston Villa player, Ollie Watkins, and Benjamin Sesko. They went for Sesko.

The clear quality is United had already signed 2 'oven ready' Premier League players successful Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo for nan attacking area they prioritised going into nan summer.

Once nan flurry of deals put together complete nan last fewer days of nan model began to return shape, and having assessed nan mistakes made by Altay Bayindir and Andre Onana successful nan preceding games, they decided to make a further summation to their goalkeeping roster astatine nan disbursal of strengthening their midfield.

Lammens was not a caller sanction connected United's radar. They were first linked pinch him past play and said to Royal Antwerp earlier successful nan summer.

The Belgian was keen to make nan move from that point. It was nan mediate of past week erstwhile negotiations began betwixt nan clubs again and nan woody was put successful spot that was activated connected Monday morning.

United cognize location is simply a consequence attached.

While United could still offload either Onana aliases Bayindir - clubs successful nan Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Greece, Turkey and Saudi Arabia among others tin still motion players until their respective deadlines adjacent - nan specifics stay chartless astir who will beryllium Amorim's first-choice goalkeeper.

Aside from nan data, Lammens has beardown recommendations.

Thibaut Courtois, 1 of Belgium's top keepers, rates him highly. So excessively Simon Mignolet, a erstwhile team-mate astatine Club Brugge.

"His changeable stopping is his biggest quality," says HLN.BE's Royal Antwerp newsman Axel Brisart.

"He made immoderate awesome saves and has awesome reflexes connected nan line.

"He is very proactive and likes to travel for nan ball. He has awesome feet and his passing is simply a really large limb for immoderate squad looking to put immoderate tempo into their play."

Sesko has been eased into life astatine Old Trafford pinch a mates of substitute appearances successful nan Premier League to spell pinch his 90-minute outing astatine Grimsby successful nan EFL Cup that near him pinch terrible cramp astatine nan last whistle.

Amorim cannot do nan aforesaid pinch Lammens. Because of that daze conclusion astatine Blundell Park, United will not play a cup lucifer until January.

Their adjacent crippled is astatine Manchester City connected 14 September. Is it conceivable Amorim could springiness a debut to personification truthful inexperienced successful specified a large game?

The Belgian impresses erstwhile looking astatine nan data, but it is important to measure his strengths and weaknesses holistically.

Standing astatine 6ft 4in tall, nan 23-year-old has an imposing framework and is chiefly a changeable stopper.

He made nan astir saves of immoderate keeper successful Europe's apical 10 leagues past play (173) and astatine an 80% prevention percentage. He was 2nd only to Anderlecht's Colin Coosemans for goals prevented past play too.

He often uses bully footwork to foretell nan guidance of shots, enabling him to position himself down nan formation of nan shot to drawback it.

In one-on-one situations, he pushes guardant earlier holding his position, reducing nan perspective for opponents successful vulnerable shooting positions. This makes him susceptible to conceding from quickly taken shots, but his attack is reasonably successful successful smothering chances, particularly fixed really wide he spreads himself and nan usage of his feet to make saves.

His crosses stopped percent (13.2%) is nan champion successful Europe complete nan past year.

However, watching his activity astatine crosses and corners poses a fewer questions. Lammens is eager successful trying to declare nan shot aerially. This ensures he catches a ample number of them erstwhile they're floated precocious and successful uncontested situations.

In being proactive, he ends up stepping retired successful situations wherever he is little apt to triumph nan ball, starring to scrambles astatine corners. This is thing he'll request to find a equilibrium with.

His assurance and proactivity are affirmative signs. His reflex saves and expertise to trim nan opponent's shooting angles successful one-on-one scenarios should assistance Amorim's men too.

His on-ball quality, however, is comparatively untested fixed nan Belgian guidance faced don't property arsenic intensely arsenic nan forwards successful nan Premier League. Lammens opts to play agelong nether unit and places it successful wide areas his team-mates are in. His short passing is mostly safe but not a stand-out value astatine present.